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Manchester United legend Gary Neville claims that Federico Valverde and Dani Carvajal could make life difficult for Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold at Real Madrid. The Reds right-back has been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer, with his contract running out at the end of the season.
If the England international joins the Spanish giants, he's likely to face competition from Carvajal, who is contracted with Los Blancos till 2026. Meanwhile, Valverde has filled in this year in the role after the 33-year-old picked up a long term injury.
Speaking on the Overlap Podcast, Neville said (via GIVEMESPORT):
“I said that I thought he [Trent Alexander-Arnold] had to get more serious about his defending – I’ve said that constantly – or else it will cause him problems.
"I think it will cause him a problem at Real Madrid because they have Federico Valverde, who is playing right-back currently, and Dani Carvajal when he’s back – he’s going to have some serious competition. They are brilliant players, and he’s going to find it tough there."
Despite Neville's reservations, it is likely that Alexander-Arnold will secure regular game time, with Carvajal's contract expiring soon. Moreover, Carlo Ancelotti would wish to deploy Valverde in a midfield role to which he is more naturally suited.
So far this season, the English defender has made 39 appearances across competitions, bagging three goals and seven assists.
Jamie Carragher points out why fans are unhappy with Trent Alexander-Arnold's links with Real Madrid
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Jamie Carragher
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Reds fans are unhappy with Trent Alexander-Arnold's links with Real Madrid due to the lack of a transfer fee in this deal.
He told the Stick to Football Podcast (via Daily Mail):
"It seems like there’s not one thing people are unhappy with – it’s leaving on a free or that he should have come out and told the club earlier – people are angry for three or four different things.
"I’m not angry about him going on a free. In an ideal world, Liverpool would get £70m or £80m for him to reinvest, but you can’t have it both ways as a supporter."
Alexander-Arnold has been brilliant over the years for Liverpool, having made 349 senior team appearances across competitions, scoring 22 goals and bagging 87 assists.
He's won the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League trophies once each at Anfield, among other honors. The full-back is likely to win the English top flight this year as well.
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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava